Cup caddy

ABSTRACT

A caddy for carrying food and drink items includes a mounting member configured to receive at least a portion of a drinking vessel and a holding member extending from the mounting member, configured to hold an item adjacent a drinking vessel. The mounting member can be configured to receive a bottom, sidewall or top of a drinking vessel. The holding member can include a bottom wall extending from the mounting member and a sidewall extending from the bottom wall, where at least the sidewall and bottom wall defining a holding space. The holding member can be either hingedly or rigidly coupled to the mounting member.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application60/626,077, filed Nov. 9, 2004, the entire disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a container for carrying food items.Particularly, the present invention relates to a container capable ofcarrying food items and a drinking vessel together.

2. Description of the Related Art

There is often a need to provide a carrying device, such as a bag ortray, for carrying food from a restaurant, refreshment stand or thelike. At such establishments, the food is purchased and often taken awayand consumed elsewhere. Carrying devices, such as trays and bags, havebeen developed for this express purpose but are generally awkward andclumsy. For example, bags generally do not have individual compartments;thus, food and drinks are often stacked inside and can spill or leak.Trays have been developed with cup receptacles to minimize spillage butgenerally are larger rectangular configurations that require two-handeduse due to size. Furthermore, food is often conveyed in one or more bagsor trays, and the drinks, particularly if numbering more than one, areseparately conveyed in a tray specifically configured to carry multipledrinking cups. Often, the food is taken to or delivered directly to acar, where there is typically not a suitable place to stow the food ordrink-laden tray or bag.

While the drinking vessels are typically separated and placed in cupholders of the vehicle, if present, the food items generally must beplaced on the floor or empty seat of the vehicle, or otherwise held by apassenger. Alternatively, the food and beverage may be hand-carried fromthe establishment. If provided in a bag, it is difficult to selectivelyconsume the food and beverage without stopping and unpacking the items.However, it may be desirable or necessary to consume the items whilestanding or walking. Likewise, in certain situations such as at concertsand sporting events, it may be difficult to unpack the items even whileseated.

Accordingly, there is a need for a versatile and economical containerfor conveying food that is capable of overcoming the drawbacks ofconventional containers set forth above. There is a particular need fora carrying device that can be supported by a conventional cup holder orotherwise permits one-handed use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose and advantages of the present invention will be set forth inand apparent from the description that follows, as well as will belearned by practice of the invention. Additional advantages of theinvention will be realized and attained by the devices particularlypointed out in the written description and claims hereof, as well asfrom the appended drawings.

The present invention relates to containers that are capable ofintegrally holding food and drink in a configuration that facilitatescarrying and consumption of a meal. The present invention allows aconsumer to support a variety of food items in a single hand or in a cupholder of a vehicle or alternatively, in a cup holder of a theatre orstadium seat.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the subject caddycomprises a mounting member configured to receive at least a portion ofa drinking vessel and a holding member extending from the mountingmember, where the holding member is configured to hold an item adjacenta drinking vessel.

If the mounting member is configured to only receive a bottom portion ofa drinking vessel, the mounting member can have either an open bottom toexpose a bottom of a drinking vessel when received therein, or a closedbottom, where the mounting member of the caddy fully surrounds thebottom of the drinking vessel.

The holding member can include a bottom wall extending from the mountingmember and a sidewall extending from the bottom wall so that at leastthe sidewall and bottom wall define a holding space. The holding spacecan include one or alternatively a number of holding regions. If aplurality of holding regions are provided, at least one holding regioncan be larger and/or deeper than another holding region. The mountingmember can be disposed between two or more holding regions. Further, thesidewall can surround the mounting member. The mounting member can bedisposed asymmetrically relative to the holding member.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the mounting membercan be configured to receive a top of and can be configured to cover amouth of a drinking vessel. A hole can be defined in the mounting memberto receive a straw inserted therein.

The holding member can be hingedly coupled to the mounting member andcan be a generally U-shaped member moveable between a first positionadjacent an edge of the mounting member and a second position extendingfrom the mounting member, to define a holding space therewithin. Themounting member and the holding member can be a single-piececonstruction, and the holding member can be defined by a line ofweakness formed in the construction. The holding member can include asidewall defining a holding space and/or a support platform to supportcontents within the holding space. A support arm can be included,extending between the mounting member and the support platform. Thecaddy can further comprise a second holding member, with the mountingportion being disposed between the first and second holding members.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and are intended toprovide further explanation of the invention claimed. The accompanyingdrawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of thisspecification, are included to illustrate and provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention. Together with the description, thedrawings serve to explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 are side and perspective views of an embodiment of a cupcaddy constructed according to the invention mounted to a cup;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are side and perspective views of another embodiment of acup caddy with a cavity to permit grasping therefrom;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cup caddy embodiment with aretractable holding member in a retracted position;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view thereof with the holding member extended ina holding position;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view thereof with an item held in the holdingmember;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective and top views of an embodiment of a cupcaddy with a compartmentalized holding member;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view thereof holding food items;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view thereof received in a car console; and

FIGS. 12-14 are a top view and top and bottom perspective views,respectively of an embodiment of a cup mounted tray with opposed holdingportions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferredembodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

The present invention is directed to a caddy, comprising a mountingmember configured to receive at least a portion of a drinking vessel anda holding member extending from the mounting member, the holding memberconfigured to hold an item adjacent a drinking vessel. For purpose ofexplanation and illustration, and not limitation, an exemplaryembodiment of the caddy in accordance with the invention is shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 and is designated generally by reference character 20. Thecup caddy 20 includes a mounting portion 22 that is configured toreceive and mount to a cup 24. The mounting portion 22 is preferablyconfigured to receive the cup 24 in a press-fit or other snugassociation that is sufficient to support the weight of the cup caddywhen loaded with certain items, such as food items 26, most preferablyby friction. Preferably, only the association between the cup caddy 20and the cup 24 is used to fully support the loaded cup caddy 20 from thecup 24.

The preferred mounting portion 22 includes a sleeve that extendsdownwardly from a holding member 30 of the cup caddy 20. The sleeve 28extends sufficiently in the downward direction from the holding member30 to provide sufficient surface area to contact the cup 24 and producesufficient friction to support the loaded cup caddy 20. The bottom edge32 of the sleeve 28 can have various configurations, such as beingstraight or curved, as shown in FIG. 1. In an alternative embodiment,the mounting portion 22 completely encloses the cup 24, in which case,the holding member can be supported without a friction or press-fit withthe cup. In another embodiment, the mounting portion extends over thetop of the cup 24 and can be provided with a straw hole to receive astraw. Such an embodiment can hang from the top of the cup and can bemade with or without a press-fit association with the cup 24.

A press-fit association is preferably obtained by providing the axialopening in the mounting portion 22 with a slightly smaller diameter thanthe cup 24 at the portion of the cup 24 at which the cup caddy 20 isdesired to be mounted. In one embodiment, the axial opening of themounting portion 22 has an elongated shape extending along a plane thatis normal to the axis of the mounting portion 22 opening, with a narrowdimension that is smaller than that of the desired portion of the cup 24to deform and pinch the cup 24 to produce the press-fit. The shape ofthe mounting portion opening is preferably oval, such as an ellipticalshape, but can alternatively have another suitable shape to grip the cup24.

The holding member 30 of the preferred embodiment includes a bottom wall34 and a side wall 36. Although the height of the side wall 36 can besubstantially uniform, in a preferred embodiment, the height of the sidewall 36 is sloped so that the depth of the holding member 30 is deeperon one side than on the other. Preferably, the difference in depth fromone side to the other of the holding member 30 is between about 25-75%.The bottom wall 34 of the preferred embodiment is generally horizontalor alternatively inclined. The top edge of the holding member 30 orsidewall 36 is preferably sloped, preferably at an angle of less thanabout 45°.

A holding space 40 is thus provided between the bottom wall 34 and theside wall 36, preferably surrounding the cup 24. The side wall 36 andthe bottom wall 34 are preferably configured so that the holding space40 has larger regions on two opposite sides of the cup 24 and themounting portion 22, with a region of narrower width disposed betweenthe enlarged areas. Thus, the bottom wall 34 preferably has an elongatedshape, which can be an oval shape or other suitable shape along whichthe side wall 36 is preferably positioned.

In the preferred embodiment, the cup 24 is of a standard size used inthe fast food industry, and is preferably made out of a flexiblematerial, such as a suitable plastic or paper. The held items 26 inFIGS. 1 and 2 can be food items or other items. Fast food items 26 areshown, including a filled french-fry container and a hamburger in a bun.Other food items can be held The weight and size of items 26 that thecup caddy 20 of this embodiment is configured to hold are preferablywithin the range for items of a standard meal to be consumed by a singleperson, which range is known in the art. As can be seen in the figures,the taller of the items 26, such as the french fries, can be held in thedeeper portion of the holding member 36, shown on the right side in FIG.1, while the shorter of the items 26 can be held on the shallower sideof the holding member 36, as shown on the left side in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, another cup caddy embodiment 42, within thescope of the invention, is shown with a holding member 44 that has aslanted bottom wall 46 to provide a deeper holding space region 48,shown on the right side of FIG. 3, and a shallower holding space region50 shown at the left side of FIG. 3. Viewed from the top, the holdingmember 44 can have a substantially round or circular plan form. Amounting portion 52 extends downwardly from the holding member 44, andis positioned preferably eccentrically towards the shallow region 50 ofthe holding space within the circular plan form of the holding member44. An inner wall 54 connects the mounting portion 52 with the holdingmember 44 and provides a cavity 56 beneath the holding member 44configured and dimensioned to allow a user to insert his or her fingerstherein around the cup 24 and mounting portion 52 to grip and lift thecoupled cup 24 and caddy 42. The inner wall 54 of the holding member 44preferably separates the held items 26 in the holding space 56 from thecup 24.

The slant of the bottom wall 46 is preferably configured so that theopening to the cavity 54 is elevated at one side to allow a user toinsert a hand therein when the cup 24 and caddy 42 are resting on atable or other surface. The mounting portion 52 and holding member 44are preferably configured so that, when the caddy 42 is coupled with thecup 24, the bottom of the cup 24 and of the holding member 42 are bothsubstantially in a shared horizontal plane to rest upon a surface.Alternatively, the lowest portion of the holding member 48 is elevatedfrom the bottom of the cup 24 when the caddy 42 is mounted to the cup24.

The embodiment of caddy 58 shown in FIG. 5, in accordance with anotheraspect of the invention, preferably has a mounting portion 60 that isconfigured to attach to the top of a cup 24. The mounting portion 60 inthis embodiment is also configured as a lid and includes a lid portion62 that can cover the opening at the top of the cup 24. The lid portion62 can comprise features of lids known in the art, such as an opening 64for inserting a straw. In an alternative embodiment, the mountingportion 60 is configured to mount over and preferably attach to anexisting lid that is fitted thereunder on the cup 24.

A holding member 66 is shown in FIG. 5 in a retracted position extendingaround the mounting portion 60 in a compact arrangement. The holdingmember preferably includes a U-shaped strap of flexible material mountedat the open end of the U-shape, such that the U-shape substantiallysurrounds a portion of the mounting portion 60 in the retractedposition. As shown in FIGS. 5-7, the holding member can be formed as asingle piece with the mounting portion if desired. The holding member isdefined from the mounting portion by a line of weakness. A slit 68 canbe provided between the holding member and the mounting portion. Theslit 68 can be provided by a cutting operation to form the holdingmember 60 as a unitary piece with a mounting portion 60.

The holding member 68 thus can be flipped over the top of the cup 24 andholding member 60 to a holding position, shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, inwhich the holding portion 66 extends outwardly from the cup 24 to holdan item 26 and depends from the mounting portion 60 at hinges 69, whichare preferably living hinges. Holding space 70 is configured such that atapered item 26 can be inserted and held therein. As depicted, theholding space 70, therefore, is bounded by the U-shaped member of theholding member 68 and by an edge 72 of the holding member, which can bean extension of the mounting portion 60. Alternatively, the holdingspace 70 can be bounded by the U-shaped portion of the holding memberand the cup 24 or a portion of the cup lid, with the holding member 66holding the item 26 thereagainst.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, as shown in FIGS.8-11, a caddy 74 is provided with a compartmentalized holding member 6defining at least one compartmentalized holding space 78 positionedsubstantially on one side of the mounting portion 80. The mountingportion 80 is configured to attach to or otherwise receive a cup 24, andthe holding space 78 includes compartments 82 which can includesub-compartments 84, such as provided by varying the depth of thecompartments 82 at selected locations.

The holding member 76 in this embodiment extends in a pie-shape from themounting portion 80, preferably with the mounting portion 80 disposedsubstantially at an apex thereof with sides extending at an angle ofless than 90° therefrom to an arcuate edge that is disposed distallyfrom the mounting portion 80. Other angles and shapes can be used.

The mounting portion 80 of this embodiment is configured to grip the cup24 near its bottom edge so that the holding member 76 can rest against asurface adjacent to the cup. FIG. 11 shows the caddy 74 used in anautomobile, with the bottom of the cup 24 or mounting portion 80received within a cup holder 86 of a car console 88. Preferably, in oneembodiment the press-fit between the holding member 80 and the cup 24 issuch that the entire caddy 74 and cup 24 can be lifted together when thedriver lifts either the cup 24 or caddy 74 to drink from the cup 24. Inan alternative embodiment, the mounting portion extends around thebottom of the cup 24 and is configured to be received in a cup holder86, but the association with the cup 24 can be of sufficiently reducedfriction, if desired, so that the cup 24 can be easily removedtherefrom. In one embodiment, the mounting portion 80 substantially doesnot grip the cup 24, and is configured to remain in the cup holder 86 ofthe car console 88 to stabilize the position of the holding member 76when the cup 24 is removed therefrom.

In accordance with an alternative aspect, as illustrated by theembodiment of caddy 90 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the caddy is configuredto replace or mount directly to the lid that is positioned on a cup 24.For example, mounting portion 92 preferably has side walls 94 that areconfigured to grip the lid. Alternatively, the mounting portion 92 canbe configured to attach and secure directly to the cup itself, servingalso as a lid. The top of the mounting portion 92 preferably has asurface 94 that covers the mouth of the cup 24 or the lid. A straw hole96 can be provided in the surface 94 for inserting a straw.

In one embodiment, the mounting portion can comprise a stepped interiorwith sections 109 of different radii to be attached selectively tovarious standard lid sizes, as shown in FIG. 14. The sections 109 can beprovided as ledges or concentric rings, for example. The preferredholding member 98 in this embodiment includes one or more holdingportions 100, each of which is located on a side of the mounting portion92. The holding portions 100 define holding spaces 102, which areconfigured for holding items, such as food items to be consumed with thebeverage in the cup 24. The holding spaces 102 are preferably surroundedlaterally by a continuous side-wall 108 above each of the holdingportions 100.

Support platforms 104, which are connected to the side walls 108 andpreferably the mounting portion 92 by arms 106, or by another suitablemember, provide a bottom wall to support items that are held in theholding spaces 102. As shown in FIG. 12, the cross-dimension of theplatform 104 can be smaller in plan view than that of the opening 102 atthe level of the side walls 108. The arms 106 are preferably sloped andare extensions of one or both of the bottom and side walls. Other shapesand arrangements of the arms, platforms, and sidewalls are possible,such as with angular configurations. The slopes of the arms 106 arepreferably selected to enable a user to grip the cup with his or herhand with fingers inserted at the height of the platforms 104 or higher,adjacent the arms 106, if desired.

The cup caddy embodiments shown and described herein can be made usingmaterials and processes known to those of ordinary skill in the art,such as, but not limited to, the materials and the processes describedin U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,257,401 and 6,349,847, the contents of which patentsare expressly incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. Forexample, the cup caddies can be formed from one or more insulatingfoams, one or more plastics, one or more paper stocks, combinationsthereof, and/or one or more other materials known by those of ordinaryskill in the art to be suitable for storage or holding of food items.Also for example, the caddies can be thermoformed, vacuum-formed,molded, and/or otherwise formed using one or more processes known bythose of ordinary skill in the art to be suitable for the fabrication offood containers or holders.

While illustrative embodiments of the invention are disclosed herein, itwill be appreciated that numerous modifications and other embodimentsmay be devised by those skilled in the art. For instance, variousfeatures of the different embodiments can be combined or used in otherembodiments. The mounting portions that are press-fit to the cup, forexample, can extend in an upward or downward direction, or both, fromthe holding member of the corresponding caddy. Also, additional holdingportions may be provided in various embodiments. Therefore, it will beunderstood that the appended claims are intended to cover all suchmodifications and embodiments that come within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

1. A caddy, comprising: a mounting member configured to receive at leasta portion of a drinking vessel; and a holding member extending from themounting member, the holding member configured to hold an item adjacenta drinking vessel.
 2. The caddy of claim 1, wherein the mounting memberis configured to receive a bottom of a drinking vessel.
 3. The caddy ofclaim 2, wherein the mounting member has an open bottom to expose abottom of a drinking vessel when received therein.
 4. The caddy of claim2, wherein the holding member includes a bottom wall extending from themounting member and a sidewall extending from the bottom wall, at leastthe sidewall and bottom wall defining a holding space.
 5. The caddy ofclaim 4, wherein the holding space includes a number of holding regions.6. The caddy of claim 5, wherein at least one holding region is largerthan another holding region.
 7. The caddy of claim 5, wherein at leastone holding region is deeper than another holding region.
 8. The caddyof claim 5, wherein the mounting member is disposed between two holdingregions.
 9. The caddy of claim 4, wherein the sidewall surrounds themounting member.
 10. The caddy of claim 2, wherein the mounting memberis disposed asymmetrically relative to the holding member.
 11. The caddyof claim 1, wherein the mounting member is configured to receive a topof a drinking vessel.
 12. The caddy of claim 11, wherein the mountingmember is configured to cover a mouth of a drinking vessel.
 13. Thecaddy of claim 12, wherein the mounting member includes a hole definedtherethrough to receive a straw inserted therein.
 14. The caddy of claim11, wherein the holding member is hingedly coupled to the mountingmember.
 15. The caddy of claim 14, wherein the holding member is agenerally U-shaped member moveable between a first position adjacent anedge of the mounting member and a second position extending from themounting member to define a holding space therewithin.
 16. The caddy ofclaim 14, wherein the mounting member and the holding member are asingle-piece construction, the holding member defined by a line ofweakness.
 17. The caddy of claim 11, wherein the holding member includesa sidewall defining a holding space.
 18. The caddy of claim 17, furthercomprising a support platform to support contents within the holdingspace.
 19. The caddy of claim 18, further comprising a support armextending between the mounting member and the support platform.
 20. Thecaddy of claim 11, further comprising a second holding member, themounting portion disposed between the first holding member and thesecond holding member.